Propelled bath vessel and method of making and using the same

ABSTRACT

The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a bath vessel that is capable of moving across the water through the production of bubbles. The disclosed bath vessel comprises an interior compartment that is sized and shaped to house an effervescent source that generates a gas upon contact with a fluid, such as water. The vessel further includes a discharge port in connected relationship with the interior compartment. In use, the effervescent source generates a gas (e.g., bubbles) that exit through the discharge port and propel the vessel through the fluid.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/656,534 filed on Apr. 12, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a propelled bath vessel, and to methods of making and using the bath vessel.

BACKGROUND

Many young children enjoy playing in water and water toys often facilitate bathing of children. To this end, various vessels have been designed for use by children in a bathtub. For instance, toy boats that float on water are commonly used to provide entertainment to children while they take a bath. However, children can easily become bored with toys that do not provide additional stimulation, such as movement, bubbles, and the like. Bubbles in particular are especially desirable and serve to keep children occupied during bathing. It would therefore be beneficial to provide a bath vessel to increase a child's interest while bathing.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a propelling vessel comprising a body, an interior compartment positioned within the body, an opening positioned in the body to provide access to the interior compartment, and a discharge port in fluid communication with the interior compartment. The vessel is configured to propel in a desired direction when placed in a fluid such that the fluid enters the interior compartment and an effervescent source housed within the interior compartment contacts the fluid and generates a gas that is expelled from the discharge port, thereby propelling the vessel. The vessel can further comprise an effervescent source positioned within the interior compartment.

In some embodiments, the body is at least partially buoyant.

In some embodiments, the effervescent source can be configured as a solid and/or housed within a porous sachet. In some embodiments, the effervescent source comprises an alkaline carbonate and an acidic material and one or more optional ingredients selected from one or more surfactants, fragrances, pigments, dyes, oils, preservatives, or extracts. In some embodiments, the effervescent source produces carbon dioxide when contacted with a fluid (e.g., water).

In some embodiments, the opening comprises a lid to open and close access to the interior compartment.

In some embodiments, the vessel includes a plurality of discharge ports in fluid communication with the interior compartment. In some embodiments, each discharge port comprises an interior passageway that includes a screen.

In some embodiments, the vessel can be configured as a bath toy.

In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of propelling a vessel in a desired direction. The method comprises depositing an effervescent source that produces a gas upon contact with a fluid into the interior compartment of the disclosed propelling vessel. The method further comprises contacting the vessel with a fluid, such that the fluid flows into the interior compartment from the discharge port. The effervescent source then produces a gas upon contact with the fluid and the generated gas exits the vessel through the discharge port. As a result, the vessel is propelled in a desired direction (e.g., in a forward, reverse, or circular direction).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The previous summary and the following detailed descriptions are to be read in view of the drawings, which illustrate some (but not all) embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a propelling assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of a vessel in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a vessel interior compartment and discharge port in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIGS. 4a and 4b are perspective views of an effervescent source in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIGS. 5a-5d are front plan views illustrating a method of using the disclosed vessel in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6a is a side plan view of a vessel in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 6b is a top plan view of the vessel of FIG. 6 a.

FIG. 6c is a top plan view of the vessel of FIG. 6a during use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The presently disclosed subject matter is introduced with sufficient details to provide an understanding of one or more particular embodiments of broader inventive subject matters. The descriptions expound upon and exemplify features of those embodiments without limiting the inventive subject matters to the explicitly described embodiments and features. Considerations in view of these descriptions will likely give rise to additional and similar embodiments and features without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are now described.

Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in the subject specification, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to “a vessel” can include a plurality of such vessels, and so forth.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the instant specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.

As used herein, the term “about”, when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration, and/or percentage can encompass variations of, in some embodiments +/−20%, in some embodiments +/−10%, in some embodiments +/−5%, in some embodiments +/−1%, in some embodiments +/−0.5%, and in some embodiments +/−0.1%, from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate in the disclosed packages and methods.

The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a bath vessel that is capable of moving across the water through the production of bubbles. FIG. 1 illustrates bath assembly 5 in accordance with some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter. As shown, the assembly includes vessel 10 that comprises interior compartment 15 sized and shaped to house effervescent source 20. Vessel 10 further includes discharge port 25 in connected relationship with interior compartment 15. In use, effervescent source 20 generates a gas (e.g., bubbles) once contacted with water. The produced bubbles exit through discharge port 25 and in the process the vessel is propelled through the water.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of bath vessel 10. Particularly, vessel 10 comprises body 11 that can be fully or partially hollow to allow the vessel to float on top of a fluid, such as water. In some embodiments, the vessel and/or body 11 can be at least partially buoyant. The term “buoyant” as used herein refers to the quality of being capable of floating. The term “vessel” as used herein is non-limiting and can include any object that can house an effervescent source as disclosed herein.

Vessel 10 further includes interior compartment 15 that is sized and shaped to house effervescent source 20. The interior compartment functions as a mixing cavity, allowing effervescent source 20 to mix with a fluid (e.g., water), as set forth in more detail herein below. The interior compartment includes opening 12 that is configured to receive element 20, such as by inserting, dumping, and/or pouring. Opening 12 therefore allows a user to access interior compartment 15. In some embodiments, opening 12 can include covering 13, such as a lid. Any type of lid assembly can be used, including (but not limited to) a snap-fit lid, screw top lid, mechanical closures (e.g., clips), friction fit, and the like. Opening 12 can be configured on any face of the vessel, such as (but not limited to) top face 14. The top face of the vessel refers to the face that is facing upwards towards the sky when the vessel is placed on a support surface, such as a table.

In some embodiments, interior compartment 15 can be detachable and/or removable from the body of the vessel. The interior compartment can be configured in any suitable shape and/or size. For example, interior compartment 15 can be tubular, cylindrical, rectangular, square, and the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, interior compartment 15 is in fluid communication with one or more discharge ports 25. Particularly, the discharge port is connected to the interior compartment and terminates on or extends from an exterior face of the vessel. In some embodiments, the discharge port can be configured as a tube, pipe, or other elongated body with hollow passageway 27 that allows fluid (such as bubbles) to flow from the interior compartment to outlet 26 of the discharge port. In addition, water from the external environment (e.g., bathtub) can flow into outlet 26, through passageway 27 to enter the interior compartment. As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the discharge port can include screen 28 configured within passageway 27. The screen can prevent large particles from passing through the discharge port. In this way, large portions of effervescent source 20 are retained within the interior compartment until they have fully dissolved. Screen 28 can be configured in any desired size.

Discharge port 27 can be positioned on any face of vessel 10. For example, the port can be positioned at or near the bottom face, as illustrated in FIG. 2. However, the presently disclosed subject matter also includes embodiments where multiple discharge ports are configured on one or more faces of the vessel to achieve a desired movement during use (e.g., propel the vessel in a forward direction, spin the vessel in a circle).

Vessel 10 can be constructed from any desired material. For example, the vessel can be constructed from one or more buoyant materials that keep vessel 10 positioned at or near the top of the water in a bathtub. Suitable materials can include (but are not limited to) one or more child-safe polymeric materials, as would be known in the art.

The vessel can be constructed using any desired method, including (but not limited to) rotational molding, injection molding, and the like.

In some embodiments, vessel 10 can be configured in the shape of an animal (duck, fish, turtle, whale, frog, etc.), a vehicle (boat, car, truck, airplane, etc.), cartoon character, flower, and the like. However, it should be appreciated that the above list is not exhaustive, and vessel 10 can be configured in any desired shape capable of moving across or in water.

FIG. 4a illustrates one embodiment of effervescent source 20 configured as a sphere. However, it should be appreciated that the shape of element 20 is not limited and can include any desired shape (e.g., square, triangular, oval, diamond, heart, abstract). In some embodiments, the effervescent source can be configured as a loose powder, positioned within sachet 21, as shown in FIG. 4b . The sachet can be porous to allow bubbles produced from element 20 to pass therethrough.

Effervescent source 20 can include any material or materials that produce a gas when contacted by a fluid (such as water). In some embodiments, element 20 can be a “bath bomb” as commonly known in the art. Such bath bombs typically comprise alkaline carbonate salts and acidic materials. Suitable carbonate salts can include (but are not limited to) one or more of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, and the like. Suitable acidic materials can include (but are not limited to) one or more of citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and the like. When effervescent source 20 is contacted by a fluid (such as a water), gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) is generated by the neutralization reaction that occurs when the acid and the carbonate come into intimate contact with each other.

The exact combination of acidic and alkaline materials can be varied to give an acidic or alkaline pH. In addition, the materials used to construct element 20 can be varied to affect the stability and/or physical properties of the finished product. Such experimentation is well known in the art.

Optionally, effervescent source 20 can include one or more additional components. For example, the effervescent source can comprise one or more fragrances, preservatives, pigments, dyes, oils, plant extracts, surfactants (e.g., soap), emollients, salts, and the like. Each additional component can be present in any desired concentration, such as about 0.01-5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the effervescent source (e.g., 0.01, 01, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 weight percent).

Effervescent source 20 can be produced using any method known or used in the art. For example, when configured as solids (e.g., the sphere of FIG. 4a ), a molding process can be used where the individual components are mixed and molded or pressed into shape. In some embodiments (such as when element 20 is configured as a loose powder), the effervescent source can be housed within a porous container (such as sachet 21 illustrated in FIG. 4b ). The container can be constructed from any known material that would allow the produced gas to escape, such as non-woven fabric, porous plastic film, etc. Alternatively, the sachet can be constructed from non-porous material that has a plurality of apertures (e.g., holes) configured therein to allow for the escape of gas.

Since the presence of water can initiate the effervescent reaction (e.g., production of gas), effervescent source 20 must be formulated, manufactured, and packaged to prevent unintended contact with moisture.

The disclosed effervescent source can be used to propel vessel 10 in a desired direction. In use, covering 13 (lid) of the interior compartment can be opened or removed to allow a user to access interior compartment 15 of vessel 10. Effervescent source 20 can then be deposited into interior compartment 15 using any method (e.g., dumping, pouring, positioning), as shown by Arrow A of FIG. 5a . Lid 13 can then be closed, enclosing the effervescent source within the compartment, as shown in FIG. 5 b.

Vessel 10 can be placed in a fluid (e.g., a water-filled bathtub) at any point before or after the effervescent source is deposited into the interior compartment. When the vessel is placed in a bathtub, for example, water flows into interior compartment 15 via discharge port 25. As shown by the Arrow B in FIG. 5c , water flows from the exterior of the vessel, through passageway 27 of the discharge port into interior compartment 15.

Once water contacts the effervescent source housed within the interior compartment, a chemical reaction is initiated and gas is produced. For example, when the alkaline carbonate salt is sodium carbonate and the acidic material is citric acid, carbon dioxide is produced according to the following reaction:

C₆H₈O₇+NaHCO₃→CO₂+H₂O+Na₃C₆H₅O₇

However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed effervescent reaction is not limited to sodium carbonate and citric acid, as set forth above. Rather, any gas-generating reaction can be used.

Because interior compartment 15 has a limited volume due to covering 13, the gas produced travels to the discharge port. Particularly, the bubbles produced by the reaction of the effervescent source are forced under pressure from the interior compartment, through passageway 27 of the discharge port, and into the surrounding environment, as shown by Arrow C of FIG. 5d . In this way, the vessel is propelled in the opposite direction as the discharge of the gas, as illustrated by Arrow D. Thus, vessel 5 is self-propelled and moves under the action of the volume of gas bubbles produced from effervescent source 20.

In some embodiments, vessel 10 can be configured to spin in a circular or about circular direction. For example, in the vessel of FIGS. 6a and 6b , a plurality of discharge ports are in fluid communication with internal compartment 15. Once water flows through the discharge port into the interior compartment to contact effervescent source 20, the reaction begins. Generated gas then flows from the interior compartment, through passageway 27 of each discharge port to exit the vessel. As a result, the vessel can spin in a circular direction, as illustrated by Arrows E of FIG. 5 c.

In embodiments where the bathwater includes soap, or where effervescent source 20 includes surfactant, once the gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) is produced, bubbles and/or foam can form and can be expelled from interior compartment 15 through the discharge port, as described above.

Once the effervescent source has completely reacted, no more gas/bubbles are produced. The vessel then stops moving in the intended direction. A new effervescent source can be deposited into interior compartment 15 and the process can then repeat.

The disclosed vessel is therefore capable of movement in a desired direction (e.g., forward or backwards) or in a desired pattern (e.g., a circular pattern) as a result of the produced gas or bubbles. In this way, the user (such as a child) is entertained for prolonged periods of time.

In addition to propelling the vessel in a desired direction, the effervescence provides a pleasant, relaxing sensation for the user.

Further, it is contemplated that vessel 5, aside from being used as a toy, can also be used to disperse a bath product (e.g., fragrance, surfactant, moisturizer) included within effervescent source 20 into the surrounding liquid, such as bathwater.

While the embodiments have been described in connection with the various embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A children's toy, comprising: a body that defines an interior compartment therein; an opening positioned in the body to provide access to the interior compartment; a discharge port in fluid communication with the interior compartment; a replaceable effervescent source positioned within the interior compartment that generates a gas in response to the effervescent source being placed into contact with water, wherein the toy is configured to propel in a desired direction when placed in water in response to generation of gas from the effervescent source flowing through the discharge port.
 2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the body is at least partially buoyant.
 3. The toy of claim 1, wherein the effervescent source is configured as a solid.
 4. The toy of claim 1, wherein the effervescent source is housed within a porous sachet, wherein the porous sachet is positioned within the interior compartment.
 5. The toy of claim 1, wherein the opening comprises a lid to open and close access to the interior compartment.
 6. The toy of claim 1, wherein the body defines a plurality of discharge ports in fluid communication with the interior compartment.
 7. The toy of claim 1, wherein the discharge port defines an interior passageway that includes a screen.
 8. The toy of claim 1, wherein the effervescent source comprises an alkaline carbonate and an acidic material.
 9. The toy of claim 10, wherein the effervescent source further comprises one or more surfactants, fragrances, pigments, dyes, oils, preservatives, or extracts.
 10. The toy of claim 1, wherein the effervescent source produces carbon dioxide when contacted with the water. 